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The Day Everything Changed: Narrative Essay

It was 11:58 p.m. on June 28, 2020. I was 15 years old at the time. I had been checking my phone repeatedly waiting for that text. That one text that would change things forever. I sat there anxiously awaiting the high-pitched ding that would fill my soul with immense feelings of anger and regret. I slumped down on my grandma’s bed and with every adjustment of my body, a creaking sound would follow. I let out a sigh of distress as I felt a single warm tear roll down my right cheek. My face began to feel hot, and the color red began to replace the white ivory that once was my complexion. Ding. There it was. I had racked my brain wondering how I could prevent such an awful sound. I could have turned my phone off. I could have silenced my ringer. I could have done something – anything to avoid that sound. An unbearable weight, grief, sat upon my chest and resulted in a kind of pain that could only be explained through the fall of a tear or a quiver of a lip. I lifted the phone that lay next to me on that creaky bed. “She’s gone.” Those weren’t the only words on the screen but they were certainly the only ones that mattered. No advice or encouragement could have prepared me for the passing of my aunt. 

The weeks following her death seemed to mesh together in an endless cycle of futility– nothing seemed to matter. The trees weren’t as green as I remembered. The cool breeze that filled my shirt on a hot June day didn’t feel as relieving as before. My aunt’s death impacted me more than my teenage brain could even begin to understand. I often wondered how things would ever get better and my life could return to the normalcy I craved. But, even though life seemed dark at the time, light awaited me at the end of the tunnel. 

Looking back on my Aunt Cathy’s honorable life gave me peace of mind during that difficult time. At birth, my aunt was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease called Epstein anamoly. This sickness caused fluid to build up in her heart and caused a variety of complications. The doctors informed her parents that she would not make it past a couple months of age. When her first birthday came around, she was told that five years old was as long as she would make it – if she was lucky. This trend of death predictions continued in five-year increments until she reached 68th birthday. 

My aunt treated me like a child of her own because she was not able to conceive. Her heart had too much trouble sustaining her own life, therefore it was nearly impossible to sustain another. Because of her trouble conceiving, she treated me as the child she was not given. This provided me with the privilege of looking up to her and her ways. She was the most God-fearing woman that I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. She served the Lord diligently and let the Lord’s light shine through her; brightly, and for all to see. She was patient, loving, kind, and gentle – from the way she spoke, to the way she looked for light in all of life’s struggles.

My Aunt Cathy has taught me that trials should not be taken for granted. In comparison to the rest of my family members, my Aunt lived a relatively short life.  In that time, I never heard her complain about the daily pain she endured. Just like my aunt, we all have a mortal body and it will fail eventually. This supplies life with all of its beauty. My Aunt Cathy showed me that life should not be taken for granted because it is temporary. I don’t have unlimited time on this earth and that’s what makes it so cherishable. I won’t always be able to wake up and form memories with loved ones. I won’t always have the ability to hug your parents before going to school or a sleepover. Being able to hop out of bed without pain or aches in my body is a luxury that I are not guaranteed in the future. It is a miracle that I have the opportunity to experience all life has to offer. My aunt was a living and breathing example of this because despite her health complications, she held onto the faith that the Lord had a greater purpose for her pain.

My aunt’s struggles with pregnancy led to her calling to help others who battled with the same thing. When my aunt was around the age of 30 years old, she got a job at a pregnancy clinic that helped young women in her area support their children. This is a beautiful example of how the Lord turned my Aunt Cathy’s pain into a greater purpose. She could not have a child, so she walked alongside women who could.

The passing of my aunt has taught me to seek much joy out of life and not take the pain I may endure for granted. Just like my aunt Cathy, I have the power to make an impact on someone’s life that goes beyond my mortal body. All trials and tribulations that I have yet to endure, all work for a greater good. I am grateful for having someone like my Aunt Cathy in my life showing me that, I too, can live a life that leaves a lasting impact on the people around me.

My name is Kaylee and this is the story about how my Aunt Cathy's death changed my perspective on life.

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